The present invention relates to a molding attachment structure for an automobile door.
Known automobile doors include door inner panels and sashes provided on upper parts of the door inner panels. The sashes each have an outer sash provided externally thereof. Each sash has a door glass mounted therein. The door glass is movable up and down within the sash. Generally, the sashes have moldings attached to outer edges thereof for the purpose of decoration. Structures for attaching such moldings to the sashes are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 11-59185, for example.
The disclosed sash of an automobile door includes an inner sash portion of generally U-shaped cross-section. The inner sash portion is opened outwardly of an automobile body. An outer roof panel is joined to the inner sash portion to close the opening of the inner sash portion. The outer roof panel has a molding fitted part formed integrally therewith. The molding fitted part is T-shaped in cross-section and extends outwardly from the outer roof panel. A molding is attached to the molding fitted part from outside the automobile body. The molding has its outer surface substantially flush with an outer surface of the automobile body. The outer surface of the molding is spaced from an outer surface of a door glass of the automobile door by a relatively large distance.
Recently, there has been increased need to make the distance between the molding and the door glass as small as possible.
For some automobile, when a door glass of an automobile door is in a closed position, a molding of the door has its one side edge lying over one edge of the door glass. In order that while the automobile runs, the automobile door undergoes a less air resistance to produce a reduced hiss in addition to providing an improved outer appearance thereof, it is required: (1) that the molding have its outer surface substantially flush with an outer surface of an automobile body; and (2) that the outer surface of the molding be spaced from an outer surface of the door glass by a small distance.
For the automobile door disclosed in the aforementioned publication, however, the molding does not have its one side edge lying over an edge of the door glass when the door glass is in a closed position. Even if the door glass in the closed position had the edge underlying the side edge of the molding, the distance between the outer surface of the molding and the outer surface of the door glass would not be readily rendered small. The reason the distance is shortened with difficulty is as follows.
The molding fitted part includes an extension portion extending to outside the automobile body and an edge portion extending perpendicularly to the extension portion to provide a T-shaped cross-section. More specifically, the molding fitted part is made by folding a single sheet in two. In other words, both the extension portion and the edge portion are double-layered. This means that the edge portion has its thickness corresponding to that of the sheet folded in two. The molding is made from rubber or synthetic resin to thereby provide a larger thickness. Therefore, the distance between the outer surface of the molding and the outer surface of the door glass can not be made smaller easily.
One may propose that a glass run channel for guiding the door glass from an opened position to the closed position or vice versa be reduced in width to shift the door glass outwardly for the purpose of reducing the distance between the outer surface of the molding and the outer surface of the door glass.
The width of the glass run channel can be reduced only a limited amount because: (1) the glass run channel should retain the door glass to ensure that the door glass moves between the opened position and the closed position; and (2) the glass run channel should maintain a sealing engagement with the door glass.
An object of the present invention is to provide a molding attachment structure including a molding attachment part for attaching a molding to a sash of an automobile door having a door glass mounted therein. When the door glass is in a fully closed position, the molding has one side edge lying over an edge of the door glass. This arrangement provides an improved outer appearance of the automobile. Moreover, while the automobile runs, the door undergoes a less air resistance to thereby produce a reduced hiss.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a molding attachment structure for a door of an automobile, comprising: (A) a sash to be provided on an upper part of a door inner panel of the door; (B) a door glass mounted in the sash; (C) an outer sash provided outside the sash; (D) a molding attachment part of T-shaped cross-section projecting outwardly from the outer sash; and (E) a molding mounted to an outer surface of the molding attachment part; the molding having an outer surface substantially flush with an outer surface of a body of the automobile, the molding having one side end lying over an edge of the door glass when the door glass is in a fully closed position; the molding attachment part comprising: (a) an extension part extending outwardly from the outer sash; and (b) an edge part including a first portion extending from a distal end of the extension part away from the door glass and having a distal end folded back, and a second portion extending from the folded distal end of the first portion across the extension part towards the door glass.
The automobile body has its outer surface substantially flush with the outer surface of the molding. The molding has its one side edge lying over the edge of the door glass. With this arrangement, while running, the automobile undergoes less air resistance, producing a reduced hiss. Additionally, the automobile provides an improved outer appearance thereof.
The edge part has its edge of single-layered structure providing a thickness corresponding to that of a single sheet. This leads to a reduced distance between an outer surface of the molding and an outer surface of the door glass. The thus arranged automobile provides the improved outer appearance thereof. Further, the automobile can run undergoing a reduced air resistance to thereby produce a less hiss.
In a preferred form of the present invention, the molding includes inwardly folded hook portions at opposite side edges thereof, the edge part having opposite side edges engaging the hook portions. Preferably, the molding attachment structure further comprises elastic members attached to the outer sash and the molding attachment part in such a manner as to press the hook portions against the opposite side edges of the second portion. Preferably, the elastic members are a glass run channel and a weatherstrip.
The elastic members force the hook portions against the opposite side edges to ensure that the molding is mounted to the molding attachment part.
In a further preferred form of the present invention, the edge part includes projecting portions provided proximate the opposite side edges of the second portion engaging the hook portions, the projecting portions being substantially flush with the hook portions of the molding and being forced against the elastic members.
The elastic members are pressed against the projecting portions as well as the hook portions. The molding is therefore reliably attached to the molding attachment part. The elastic members are in tight contact with the hook portions without any gap being formed there between. This results in the improved outer appearance of the automobile.
In a further preferred form of the present invention, the molding is formed of a metal sheet capable of reflecting light. Preferably, the metal sheet is made from a stainless steel.
The molding formed of a metal sheet can be thin. Use of the thin metal sheet helps reduce the distance between the outer surface of the molding and the outer surface of the door glass. Because the molding serves to reflect light, it can acts as a decoration to thereby provide the improved outer appearance of the automobile.